Happy New Yearrr!

Happy New Year...well for the Chinese that is.  This weekend was pretty low key, although we hit up a few local pubs.  The real excitement happened Sunday when we went to the Chinese New Year Celebration in Chinatown.  Honestly the little girl in me was totally disappointed in what Chinatown was just because it was nothing like the pictures displayed in the movie "What a Girl Wants"...cheesy girl movie...I realize but it was a childhood favorite.  Whatever, the parade would have been a lot more fun if it wasn't so g-darn cold out there, I froze my patootie off!  We saw lots of dragons and things but once again I wasn't super impressed with parade.  As one girl I was with said, "If you've seen one dragon, you've seen them all.  Its cold lets go eat!"<--Love it!

Welcome!

One of about 1 million dragons!


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 Okay so this next picture is for all of you Christmas Story fans out there....no...it's no red rider bb gun...look closer...yep, it's smiling at you! ;)

"It's Smilinggg at me"



And I guess a little fun fact..we witnessed the 100th parade in Chinatown in Chicago...thas pretty neat!

However, as you probably expected...I was super pumped about the food in Chinatown, and that lived up to my expectations...and far out did the Hy-Chi that we all know and love in the ville.  (Sorry Hy-Vee, you're a close second!) Service was terrible, but the food made up for it...I got my food 25 minutes after my friends that I was eating with.  So of course I had plenty of time to take pics of their yummy food!

Some kind of Chicken haha

Chicken Broccoli, I think :/

Spicy Orange Chicken

My 'better late than never' Sesame Chicken #canttouchthis

So...since I've been here, there have been some things I've noted that are just completely culturally different than my little small town life that I'm learning to love so much Or just things that I've learned in general! :)  I've decided to make a list:

1) If you are a woman and don't have a long pea coat...you're a nobody!  What ever happened to a good ol fashioned Columbia coat??!

2) If you own a car in this town, #1 you're probably rich or lost, however if you own one and you don't know how to honk the horn, lets face it you're screwed. 

3) If you can't run/get up to a light jog, you'll miss 75% of your trains

4) If you're cold while walking, walk over those grill things ...so warm, however my next piece of advice is stay the heck away from those grills when you're wearing heels...you WILL get your heel stuck!

5) When you get on a bus, hang on, that bus driver doesn't give two shits whether or not your sitting down, you may fall, happens to the best of us.

6) Personally, I think everyone in this town could learn how to smile, it wouldn't kill ya, and honestly I'm kind of tired of looking angry just to blend in!

7) Garrett's popcorn is the best, in the words of Ricky Stanzi "If you don't love it, leave it ...Garrett's popcorn #1" ...or something like that :)

8)  The elevators in our building aren't built for more than 8 people, apparently we'll be sorry if we decide to try....pretty much sounds like we should try if you ask me!?

9) The shower's in our building will randomly start spitting out water that is hotter than any hot tub....EVER...it's a killer!

10)  Finally, A word to the wise,  if you're missing home just go ahead and crank the country music and skype some friends...it can turn the worst day into the absolute best!

My most favorite picture of the city that I've taken thus far...just waiting at the Chinatown train station.

*Cheers*